After ages (~5 years), I have finally bought a new laptop. Why is that a big deal one might ask? Here’s the back-story then: I already own 2 laptops.
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Surface Pro 7 (SP7): A refurbished device directly got from Microsoft in exchange for a problematic SP4 in Jul 2021 (which was itself a refurbished device got as a replacement for the screen-flickering original SP4 (of Dec 2016) in Nov 2018). It runs (Win11) well and I have no complaints whatsoever with its hardware yet.
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Surface Book 2 (SB2): An original device from 2018 which has started to fall apart since the last year and a half or so. First, its charger got worn down, then its charging port so now it has to be charged via 3rd party USB-C adapter & cable. No complaints there since this setup works well. Second, the mechanical attach-detach mechanism goes hay-wire once in a while where the screen is believed to be detached even when it is attached and working well with the keyboard! It is annoying at times but I can just do a real detach and attach exercise in no time and it is set to work at least for the next 24 hours. So no big deal… Third, the Mg body is starting to show ‘erosion’. Yes, ‘erosion’, not wear & tear but full-fledged loss of metal. Still, the body feels sturdy and doesn’t hamper any real workings of the laptop. Fourth, its Intel processor is 7th Gen and since Win11 needs at least an 8th Gen Intel processor, this SB2 is unable to upgrade to Win11, which is a bummer because there will be no new feature updates to Win10 anymore, though it will be supported till Oct 2025. But then there are people you don’t view Win11 so favourably either. Lastly & Fifthly, the IR camera has started to not recognize me since the last few weeks. And That’s Just Not Done. One of the ‘coolest’ features of Windows is the Hello Face recognition system (i.e., login with your face! No password, no PIN, no touching anything, no nothing; just glance at your screen even in pitch black darkness and you’re in for some good times!) and if that system doesn’t work and that too on a Surface device, what’s the point?
So I wanted a proper shiny new device with Hello Face built-in. Well, my daughter Sakura also wished to have a device someday that can login with her face. That gave me another excuse to buy a shiny new device which was that Sakura also needs a laptop now (her Amazon Fire tablet no longer cutting it for an obvious reason).
Of course, there are opposing forces (like my superpartner, or rather, especially her) with heretic views like a 5-year-old-kid doesn’t need a shiny new computer whether or not it has Hello Face. That resulted in a month-long standoff in our household, not because she (my superpartner) was going to pay for our (me & my daughter’s) new laptop but because there was no goo-d-dam-n touchscreen device available within my budget that had an IR camera, essential for Hello Face! Finally, as May rolled in, Fujitsu UH-X 2-in-1 with 12th Gen Intel i7 processor and all sorts of high-end bells & whistles but weighing less than 1 Kg showed up on Amazon.in. The rest as they say is her story because now Sakura thinks it is totally her laptop.
Of course, that’s not true. I will be converting it to my secondary device as I phase out working on SB2 starting from next month. And setting up family safety for her account. If you, the reader, can suggest how best to retire / reuse / recycle the SB2, do chime in below in the comments or contact me on any other mediums accessible / available to you. (In addition, if you yourself are not so fussy about the 5 ‘issues’ with SB2 outlined above, do let me know and you can own an excellent SB2 at fifth the original price! Hurry while the stock / deal lasts.) For now, here’s our unboxing experience of the Fujitsu 2-in-1 laptop for you to enjoy:
Before I forget to write another post this month or a post next month, let me share some more Shers by one of the greatest Shayars of all time.
जब्र का ज़हर कुछ भी हो पीता नहीं
मैं ज़माने की शर्तों पे जीता नहीं
Jabr ka zahar kuch bhi ho peeta nahin
Main zamaane ki sharton pe jeeta nahin
Never consumed any poison of crimes
I do not live by set terms of the times
देखे जाते नहीं मुझसे हारे हुए
इसलिए मैं कोई जंग जीता नहीं
Dekhe jaate nahin mujhse haare huye
Isliye main koi jang jeeta nahin
I can not bear watching any losers
That’s why I never win any battles
अपनी सुबहों के सूरज उगाता हूँ खुद
मैं चरागों की साँसों से जीता नहीं
Apni subahon ke sooraj ugaata hun khud
Main charaagon ki saanson se jeeta nahin
I grow the morning suns on my own
I do not live by the breaths of lamps
–डॉ वसीम बरेलवी (Dr. Waseem Barelvi)
So divine. So grounded. So ecstatically inspiring. So emotionally draining. So I will leave you with the
